Annuities
Pasadena ISD employees have the option to participate in tax-sheltered annuity products as a means of personal savings and investments. The annuity amount reduces the employee's gross wages before any withholding is computed, thus reducing the amount of income tax the employees would normally pay to the Internal Revenue Service. The taxes are due when the saved funds are withdrawn in future years.

Enrollment for annuities can be done at anytime of the year. While there are IRS restrictions on withdrawal of funds, annuities are still an attractive way for employees to save. For tax shelter annuity information and service call the Employee Benefits Office at 713-920-6883 or National Plan Administrators at 1-800-880-2776 for 403(B) Plans and David Schamerhorn with Royal Alliance at 281-486-9700 for 457(B) Plans.

Awards and Recognition
The district believes in recognizing its employees for their accomplishments and achievements. The district encourages teachers, administrators and schools to participate in state and national awards programs. Each year several employees or schools receive recognition from outside agencies and organizations. In turn, they receive local recognition for the specific achievement. Pasadena ISD recommends that its individual campuses and departments organize a consistent recognition program for employees that honors the successes of employees within their department. Among the formal recognition programs are:

         • Service Awards Banquet

Each year the district honors individuals who have contributed many years of service with the Pasadena school system. Employees celebrating 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 or 40 years of service with Pasadena ISD receive an award at the Service Awards Banquet. The employee receives a gift from a selection of offerings available in each anniversary bracket. The gifts range from pens and charms to diamond rings. Employees who have retired during the past year receive special recognition. In order to be listed among the honorees at the Service Awards Banquet, retiring employees must have completed their required paperwork by mid-March. Employees who retire after that date will receive recognition the following year.

Each month, the superintendent selects four employees or community members to receive the Award of Excellence. The Award of Excellence recognizes those employees, students, parents or community members who help the district move one step closer to excellence through their outstanding contributions, innovative ideas and extraordinary effort. Award recipients receive recognition each month at the Board of Trustees meeting.

The district believes in giving statewide or nationally recognized employees and students special recognition from the board. Recipients receive a certificate from the Board at the regularly scheduled meeting each month.

The district attempts to publicize and promote noteworthy achievements and programs through news releases, publications and special events. Individuals should inform the superintendent's office of the achievement in order to receive recognition. Schools and employees should feel free to "brag" about good things that happen.

Contracts
see Policy Manual DCA, DCB, DF, DFAA, DFAB, DFBA, DFBB, DFD, DFE, DNB series

Teachers, administrators and other full-time professional personnel (except paraprofessionals), who are required to hold a valid certificate or teaching permit, are employed by a written contract setting forth the terms and conditions of employment. Contracts for hiring or re-hiring must be approved by the Board of Trustees.

All employees new to the district are given a one-year probationary contract regardless of experience. If the employee has served in public education for five of the eight years prior to employment with the district, he or she is eligible to be recommended for a three-year term contract at the end of the probationary period.

Employees with less than five years experience may be eligible for two additional one-year contracts, for a maximum permissible probationary contract of three school years. A probationary contract period may be extended to a fourth consecutive probationary contract if, during the third year, the board determines that it is doubtful whether a term contract should be given. Term contracts continue to come up for renewal every three years, regardless of the employee's length of service with the district.

Any employee may be dismissed prior to the completion of his or her contract for good cause. Grounds for dismissal are listed in section DFBA (legal) and DFBB (local) of the Policy Manual. A probationary contract employee may be terminated at the end of the contract period if the Board determines that such termination will serve the best interests of the District.

Credit Union
The Gulf Coast Educators Federal Credit Union, 5953 Fairmont Parkway, offers a variety of financial services to district employees and their immediate families. Some of the programs available to credit union members include checking and savings accounts, IRA's and Money Market accounts, auto loans, direct deposit of paychecks, MasterCard, safe deposit boxes, and Pulse ATM cards. Members can also purchase discount tickets to AMC and General Cinema theaters, AstroWorld, WaterWorld, SeaWorld, Six Flags and other events and attractions. Contact the credit union at 281-487-9333 for complete information on membership and benefits or visit their website at www.gcefcu.org.

Direct Deposit
Pasadena ISD has the capability of spreading out your monies between five different banking institutions. Employees are encouraged to sign up for direct deposit. Doing so ensures against lost paychecks, eliminates the need to make special arrangements for summer checks and does away with waiting in long lines to deposit a check. All checks, including your final check with Pasadena ISD will go direct deposit. To sign up for direct deposit, you can pick up a form at your school's location or in the Payroll Department in the Administration Building.

Insurance Benefits
see Policy Manual DEB and CRD series

The district provides benefits for all full-time (seven-hour) employees and those working fewer than seven hours per day hired before September 1, 1985.

Individuals employed as special project assignment workers are individuals employed by the district for a specified time frame and/or a specific project and do not have contracts and are not eligible for district benefits. They serve at the will of the district and may be terminated for any reason, or no reason, unless a reason exists, the district may not terminate an employee for an unlawful reason. The district will make available to special project assignment workers, and individuals working fewer than seven hours per day hired on or after September 1, 1985, health insurance coverage through the school district’s Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO). Employees electing to participate in the EPO shall be responsible for the complete premium required by the District.

When employment is interrupted by personal illness or injury, and if the employee is re-hired by the district within 365 days as a regular employee (not a substitute or part-time) the employee shall be eligible for any employee benefits previously held.

     • Group Health Insurance

Employees may select coverage from one of three plans. The district makes a significant contribution ($225.00 / effective January 1, 2003) each month for each employee’s health plan. The employee’s cost depends on the plan he or she selects.

           Two health plans are offered through HAS. Plan A and Plan B provide coverage for
          the employee and his or her family. The basic difference between the two plans is
          the premium and deductible. HAS publishes the Premier Provider Directory, which
          contains physicians and hospitals that have agreed to accept a predetermined lower
          fee schedule.

          KelseyCare is an Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO) that offers a network of
          board certified or eligible physicians to handle all aspects of medical needs.
          Co-payments are paid at the time services are rendered.

        COBRA
        see Policy Manual CRD series

          The Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act (COBRA) of 1985 entitles all    
          covered participants to continue their health coverage for up to 18 months after
          terminating employment with the district. This option requires the employee, or the    
          employee’s dependents, to pay both the employee’s and the district’s contribution
          for group premiums.

          The district provides eligible employees with $10,000 in life insurance. Additional
          coverage may be acquired through payroll deduction (see Elective Insurance Plans).

Additional Life Insurance
   
An employee may purchase additional life insurance for themselves and/or
their dependents.
• Group Term Life offers coverage up to $300,000 and may purchase 
   coverage for dependents.
• Worksite Life (Universal Life) is a plan for permanent life insurance     
   (premium and coverage remain the same when you leave the district).

Cancer Insurance

This plan is designed to off-set what your medical insurance does not         
cover. The benefit is paid directly to the member.

Dental Insurance: HAS Plan C and Conseco         
Variable Insurance Company

HAS Plan C is available to employees who are covered by a medical     
plan outside the district. The plan provides dental coverage, $10,000 
life insurance and $150 per day of hospital confinement.

Conseco Variable Insurance Company offers two (2) dental options (low 
or high) for employees to choose from. Employees have freedom of choice 
of dentists.

Disability Insurance

This plan is designed to replace lost income when employees are unable to 
work due to a disabling illness or injury.

Vision Insurance

This plan provides an eye exam and lenses every 12 months and frames 
every 24 months.

Cafeteria Benefits Plan

The cafeteria plan allows employees to pay the portion of group benefits 
before federal income tax is deducted from their paychecks. In most cases, 
the employee’s take-home pay increases because the taxable wages are 
reduced. Savings will depend on the employee’s gross income and the 
amount deducted from his or her paycheck for various group benefits.

EXAMPLE 
                                                           Without                       With
                                                       Cafeteria Plan            Cafeteria Plan 

Gross bi-weekly income                        $1,000                     $1,000

Cafeteria reductions for                                                              - 80
group benefits (before taxes)

Taxable income                                     $1,000                        $920

Federal income tax                                   - 147                       - 125
    
Regular deduction for                                 - 80
group benefits (after taxes)
    
Net take home pay                                   $773                       $795

Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

Although Premium Only Plan treatment technically qualifies as "flexible benefits", a broader application of Section 125 is for Flexible Spending Account (FSA). Under an FSA, an employer could offer employee participants a choice of redirecting a portion of their salary to reimburse the 
employee’s unreimbursed medical expenses and/or dependent care expenses. With proper documentation, employees could be reimbursed with pre-taxed dollars for these costs from their FSA. For moreinformation on the FSA, please contact the Employee Benefits Office at 713-920-6883.

Liability and Civil Immunity
see policy series CRB, DH, FFAC

A professional school employee is not personally liable for acts done within the scope of employment that involve exercise of judgment or discretion, except in circumstances where, in disciplining a student, the employee uses excessive force or his or her negligence results in bodily injury to the student. The district has purchased necessary liability insurance to cover employees exposed to individual liability as a result of their official duties. The board has purchased insurance protection against claims for property damage, personal injury or death caused by the negligence, wrongful act or omission of the district's officers or employees acting within the scope of their official duties. The district shall not pay damages awarded against an employee that arise from a willful or wrongful act or omission constituting gross negligence or official misconduct. There is no immunity for personal liability in the use, operation or maintenance or a motor vehicle.

When an employee follows Pasadena ISD policies regarding the administration of a medication to a student, immunity is provided for damage when the district has written permission to administer the medication and, for prescription drugs, the medication appears to be in the original container and is properly labeled. This immunity does not apply to injuries resulting from gross negligence.

The Professional Library is located in Room G101 of the Administration Building. Library services are available to all district personnel from 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Fridays. The library provides district employees with access to professional books, videotapes, magazines, newsletters, tapes, and CD's on issues important to those involved in the education of children. District employees have access to subscription databases in the Professional Library as well as at their schools. These include: Britannica Online and Grolier (encyclopedias), Galegroup (magazines and literary research materials), Facts on File, Digital Curriculum (classroom videos online) and Nettrekker (websites with TEKS links).

Media Production

The Media Production Center is also located in G101. Media Production provides supplies and equipment for district employees to develop instructional materials to aid in the educating of students. Equipment includes computers, printers, lettering machines, laminators, die cuts, poster making machines, book binders, button makers, VCR's and cameras. Materials include bulletin board paper, magazines and books with bulletin board ideas, colored construction paper for die cuts, paint, markers, glue, crayons and more. Media Production has the same hours as the Professional Library.

1. Employee's payroll name.
2. Federal Social Security number.
3. Ending date of the pay period.
4. Release date of the check. This will be the payday following the "paid through date."
5. Home base is the payroll location (usually your campus or office) responsible for your
    paycheck.
6. Check number.
7. Earnings. An amount of money for each base record will be listed in this column.
8. Base code is the number of the base record. Each base will have a different number.
9. Explanation merely defines the number in the account code column.
10. Rate indicates the pay rate in dollars and cents. This will be a daily rate for period pay
      employees and an hourly rate for regular and variable pay employees.
11. Hours reflects the number of hours paid on this check (applies to regular pay and
      variable pay employees only).
12. Deductions. Employees' payroll deductions are listed by amounts in this column.  
      Column 12-A is used if
      additional space is needed.
13. Explanation defines the deduction for each amount taken out of the employees'
      paycheck. Column 13-A is used if additional space is needed.
14. Local. This is the employee's local sick leave balance in hours as of the pay period
      ending date.
15. State. This is the employee's state sick leave balance in hours as of the pay period  
      ending date.
16. State personal balance, in hours, the number of days given to employees by the state
      to be used as personal days, see DEC (local).
17. Vacation or non-duty balance in hours as of the payroll ending date. This applies to
      12-month employees only.
18. Vacation bank in hours as of the payroll ending date. Hours earned but saved to be
      used as needed later or held until termination (for eligible employees only).
19. Gross earned. This is the total amount earned for the current paycheck.
20. Before tax deductions is the total amount of deductions taken from the gross pay    
      before taxes. It includes Teacher Retirement System regular deductions, any insurance
      on the cafeteria plan, annuity deductions, etc.
21. Taxable gross is the amount from which taxes are taken (#19 minus #20).
22. Income tax. Amount of federal withholding tax deducted from the paycheck, based
      on W-4 information.
23. After tax deductions. Any deduction not included in #20 (such as credit union,
      insurance not on cafeteria plan, Teacher Retirement System insurance, child support,
      etc.).
24. Net amount. The amount actually paid with this check (gross amount minus all   
      deductions).
25-30. Year-to-date totals are the totals for the calendar year as of the date of this check.

The explanations are the same as #19 through #24. Your annual salary and these
final totals probably will not be the same.

Employees must complete a payroll deduction authorization form at the time of enrollment in the insurance plans. To change any coverage or benefit, such as additions, deletions or cancellations, employees should contact the office of Employee Relations. Most of the involuntary payroll deductions are taken every payroll. Some voluntary deductions are taken from the first payroll of the month, while others are taken from the second payroll of the month.

Voluntary deductions are those the employee chooses to have taken from his or her check. They include:

Involuntary deductions are those required by federal or state law. They include:

Salaries and Payroll
see Policy Manual CFE, CFEA, DEA series

The Board of Trustees must approve the salaries of all personnel. The salary is public information and is published annually by the district. Salaried employees are paid semi-monthly, on the 15th and on the last day of the month. If the payday falls on a holiday, paychecks are issued on the last work day prior to the holiday. For salaried employees, the total annual salary is prorated over the entire year so that the annual pay is divided into 24 equal paychecks. Paychecks are distributed by principals and supervisors. Employees who prefer to have their paychecks deposited directly with their financial institution must complete a form available from the Payroll Department. During the summer, paychecks for employees not on duty are mailed to their home address unless arrangements are made for direct deposit or for a different summer address. W-2 forms necessary for preparing income tax returns will be issued no later than January 31. They will be sent to school locations for all employees except substitute teachers and employees who have been terminated.

A payroll designated as the first payroll of the month has health and life insurance taken as deduction from the gross pay. The second payroll of the month has cancer, vision, dental and disability income protection taken as deductions from the gross pay. All 24 paychecks will have TRS and Federal Withholding Tax deducted.

Teacher Retirement System
see Policy Manual DEG and CFEA series

Normal-Age Retirement
A member may receive an unreduced standard annuity at:
• age 65 with five or more years of service, or
• any combination of age and service totaling 80, with at least five years of membership
   service credit.

Early-Age Retirement
A member may receive a reduced standard annuity:
• Between age 55 and 64 with between 5 and 19 years of service, or
• Between age 55 and 59 with between 20 and 24 years of service, or
• Age 49 or less with 30 or more years of service.

Calculating a Retirement Annuity
The following sample formula is used to determine the basic normal lifetime retirement annuity (standard annuity) and to calculate certain death and disability benefits.

               24                      X                     2.3%                    =                 55%
Total Years of Creditable Service                                                            Total %

              55%                    X                  $34,204                  =             $18,812.20
           Total %                                 Average Salary                           Annual Annuity

       $18,812.20                                       /12                        =               $1,567.68
    Annual Annuity                                                                  Monthly Standard Annuity

Vacation/Non-Duty Days
see policy series DED

All persons employed by the District in a 12-month position prior to August 1, 1998, and who remain in a 12-month position, shall receive paid vacation based on schedules as stated in DED (local).

On and after August 1, 1998, all persons hired into a 12-month position, and any employee promoted, transferred or reassigned into such a position from less than a 12-month position, shall not receive paid vacation. Such persons shall be employed on a 240-day calendar, 10 of which days may be used as non-duty days. Non-duty days cannot be carried over to any succeeding year, nor can they be cashed out, at anytime.

Wellness and Corporate Memberships
The district encourages its employees to participate in voluntary wellness and exercise programs. Several area-health clubs and the YMCA have corporate memberships with Pasadena ISD. Many of them waive initiation fees and offer monthly discounts for Pasadena ISD employees. The district also offers a variety of recreational programs for employees including bowling and volleyball leagues.